Road safety barrier assembly

Abstract

A road safety barrier assembly has a plurality of elements for re-directing a vehicle which impacts against the road safety barrier, a plurality of supports supporting the re-directing elements, sensors and/or light signaling sources. At least some of the supports each comprise a cavity and are distributed along the road safety barrier. Electronic devices distributed along the road safety barrier are each connected to a sensor and/or to a light signaling source and housed in a cavity of a support. Electric cables extend along the road safety barrier and electrically connect each of the electronic devices. Each cavity of the supports is accessible from outside in order to enable replacement or repair of an electronic device housed internally thereof.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A road safety barrier assembly comprising:
 a road safety barrier which extends along the side of a road, in turn comprising: 
 a plurality of re-directing elements for re-directing a vehicle which impacts against the road safety barrier; 
 a plurality of support elements for supporting the plurality of re-directing elements; 
 a plurality of sensors and/or light signalling sources; 
 wherein at least a part of the support elements of the plurality of support elements each comprises a cavity and are distributed along the road safety barrier; 
 further comprising: 
 a plurality of electronic devices which are distributed along the road safety barrier, each of the electronic devices of the plurality of electronic devices being connected to a sensor and/or to a light signalling source of the plurality of sensors and/or light signalling sources and being housed in a cavity of a support element of the plurality of support elements; and 
 a plurality of electric cables which extend along the road safety barrier and which electrically connect each electronic device of the plurality of electronic devices; 
 wherein each cavity of the support elements of the plurality of support elements is accessible from outside in order to enable replacement or repair of an electronic device of the plurality of electronic devices which is housed internally thereof, 
 wherein each support element of the plurality of support elements which comprises a cavity also comprises: an opening for accessing the relative cavity from outside; and a cover for closing the opening which is removably fixable to the support element of the plurality of support elements which comprises a cavity, 
 and wherein each support element of the plurality of support elements which comprises a cavity has a pole shape having a lateral surface at which the opening is afforded; and 
 each electronic device of the plurality of electronic devices, when housed in the cavity is arranged so as to face the opening. 
 
     
     
       2. The road safety barrier assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each electronic device of the plurality of electronic devices which is housed in a cavity of a support element of the plurality of support elements is borne by the relative cover so that the removal of the cover determines extraction of the electronic device of the plurality of electronic devices from the cavity. 
     
     
       3. The road safety barrier assembly of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the electric cables of the plurality of electric cables are borne by the road safety barrier to slide along the road safety barrier; 
 at least a first part of the cavities of the support elements of the plurality of support elements is dimensioned so as each to receive a reserve of electric cables of the plurality of electric cables; and 
 the electric cables of the plurality of electric cables are arranged in such a way as to occupy the cavities of the support elements so that, in at least a part of the cavities of the first part of the cavities, the electric cables of the plurality of electric cables form at least a reserve of electric cables so that, if a vehicle impacts against the road safety barrier deforms the road safety barrier so that it forms a bend, the electric cables of the plurality of electric cables can slide along the road safety barrier, reducing the at least a reserve of electric cables. 
 
     
     
       4. The road safety barrier assembly of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the road safety barrier comprises a plurality of containing elements having an overturned U section and arranged one following another to form a housing having a channel shape; 
 the electric cables of the plurality of electric cables are arranged in the housing; 
 each support element of the plurality of support elements is a pole having a cylindrical shape; and 
 the containing elements of the plurality of containing elements are arranged above the support elements of the plurality of support elements. 
 
     
     
       5. A road safety barrier assembly comprising:
 a road safety barrier which extends along the side of a road, in turn comprising: 
 a plurality of re-directing elements for re-directing a vehicle which impacts against the road safety barrier; 
 a plurality of support elements for supporting the plurality of re-directing elements; 
 a plurality of sensors and/or light signalling sources; 
 wherein at least a part of the support elements of the plurality of support elements each comprises a cavity and are distributed along the road safety barrier; 
 further comprising: 
 a plurality of electronic devices which are distributed along the road safety barrier, each of the electronic devices of the plurality of electronic devices being connected to a sensor and/or to a light signalling source of the plurality of sensors and/or light signalling sources and being housed in a cavity of a support element of the plurality of support elements; 
 a plurality of electric cables which extend along the road safety barrier and which electrically connect each electronic device of the plurality of electronic devices; 
 wherein each cavity of the support elements of the plurality of support elements is accessible from outside in order to enable replacement or repair of an electronic device of the plurality of electronic devices which is housed internally thereof; and 
 wherein the electric cables of the plurality of electric cables are borne by the road safety barrier to slide along the road safety barrier; 
 at least a first part of the cavities of the support elements of the plurality of support elements is dimensioned so as each to receive a reserve of electric cables of the plurality of electric cables; and 
 the electric cables of the plurality of electric cables are arranged in such a way as to occupy the cavities of the support elements so that, in at least a part of the cavities of the first part of the cavities, the electric cables of the plurality of electric cables form at least a reserve of electric cables so that, if a vehicle impacts against the road safety barrier deforms the road safety barrier so that it forms a bend, the electric cables of the plurality of electric cables can slide along the road safety barrier, reducing the at least a reserve of electric cables. 
 
     
     
       6. The road safety barrier assembly of  claim 5 , wherein each support element of the plurality of support elements which comprises a cavity also comprises:
 an opening for accessing the relative cavity from outside; and 
 a cover for closing the opening which is removably fixable to the support element of the plurality of support elements which comprises a cavity. 
 
     
     
       7. The road safety barrier assembly of  claim 6 , wherein:
 each support element of the plurality of support elements which comprises a cavity has a pole shape having a lateral surface at which the opening is afforded; and 
 each electronic device of the plurality of electronic devices, when housed in the cavity is arranged so as to face the opening. 
 
     
     
       8. The road safety barrier assembly of  claim 6 , wherein each electronic device of the plurality of electronic devices which is housed in a cavity of a support element of the plurality of support elements is borne by the relative cover so that the removal of the cover determines extraction of the electronic device of the plurality of electronic devices from the cavity. 
     
     
       9. The road safety barrier assembly of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the road safety barrier comprises a plurality of containing elements having an overturned U section and arranged one following another to form a housing having a channel shape; 
 the electric cables of the plurality of electric cables are arranged in the housing; 
 each support element of the plurality of support elements is a pole having a cylindrical shape; and 
 the containing elements of the plurality of containing elements are arranged above the support elements of the plurality of support elements.